Construction stilts are leg-extension devices that advantageously allow the wearer to work and maneuver at an increased height above a floor or other base surface. Such stilts are often used in the construction industry. Construction stilts are helpful, for example, to those persons installing ceilings who need additional height to hold a drywall board in place while at the same time securing the drywall board to the woodwork material behind it. Many construction stilts provide an additional eighteen to forty inches in height to the wearer.
Many of the attachment devices used in construction stilts, connecting the legs of the user to the stilt frames, are rigid, uncomfortable, and cumbersome to wear. In the interest of comfort and safety, there is a need for an improved attachment device for use with construction stilts.
These and other problems exist. Previous attempts to solve these and other problems include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,803, issued to Jay on Nov. 18, 2003 discloses a stilt having a multiple-articulating, three segment base, providing enhanced stability and a better translation of walking forces. The stilt disclosed uses a calf band and a removable calf pad.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0203793 A1, filed by Emmert and published on Oct. 30, 2003, discloses a stilt device for supporting a user above a base support surface. The stilt device includes a shoe plate, a base member and at least one intermediary strut. A leg attachment assembly comprises an elongated support pole which extends upwardly from the strut. In some embodiments, a clam-shell assembly is attached to a distal end of the support pole and comprises opposing, curved inner and outer plates configured to surround and support the user's leg. A hinge assembly facilitates rotation of the inner plate with respect to the outer plate between open and closed positions. In other embodiments, a support attachment assembly utilizes a u-shaped bracket and a nested, h-shaped clamp to attach the medial portion of the support pole to the shoe plate. The support attachment assembly establishes and secures both the angular extent and length of the support pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,586, issued to Lin on Feb. 11, 2003, discloses a support structure having a shoe platform and a floor platform, with the said shoe platform and floor platform movably conjoined, and retained by a sprung component, to a set of supports. Moreover, there are a plurality of leg section supports that are coupled to one of the supports by means of a pivot sleeve having an axial hole and a locating mount. Movably conjoined between the leg section supports is an adjustable calf harness consisting of two adjoined fittings. The shoe platform includes heel rest consisting of a stop mount and a slide mount having selectable position mounting holes. Disposed on the shoe platform are clasp mounts for the positioning of toe straps and strap fastener as well as ankle straps and strap fasteners into shoe platform clasp slots.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,515, issued to Armstrong et al. on Jul. 8, 1997, discloses an improved spring-loaded parallelogram stilt. An improved leg support attachment is provided in which the leg support is attached by a capturing bracket to the rearward vertical support. Improved straps are also provided, made of a suitable belt or strap material and have on the surface of the straps or belts hook and loop fastening material. The hook and loop fastening material is arranged on the surface of the straps such that multiple folds of the material create a firm, yet readily adjusted and released, attachment of the straps. This is achieved by having one flap of the strap having loop fastening material on both sides. The remaining surfaces of the strap are covered with hook fastening material. A gap or space is provided between the different fastening material patches so that fold lines are created in which a fastening buckle is engaged. The length of the strap is adjusted using an adjustment buckle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,054, issued to Rowan on May 7, 1996, discloses a pair of stilts, each stilt having a user foot support coupled to an upper leg and to a lower leg. The upper leg is secured to the leg of a user. A foot is coupled to the lower end of the lower leg. The upper leg includes two side members each configured to resist torsional forces and thus to provide stability. Each stilt may include a knee protector mounted to the upper end of the upper leg and arranged to prevent hyperextension of the knee of the user. An adjustable strap with padding is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,932, issued to Rowan on Mar. 22, 1994, discloses a pair of stilts. Each of the stilts has a resilient flexible foot which can be hinged or integral with the lower stilt leg portion. The resilient flexible foot has first and second projections defining a channel that receives a third projection from the lower stilt portion. The third projection has a horizontal slot to register with vertical slots in the first and second projections. In another embodiment the stilt further includes a shin protector. A height adjustable foam knee protector and an adjustable padded ski-type binding is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,256, issued to Prueitt on May 22, 1984, discloses a unique arrangement for leg extension jumpers consisting of elastic members connecting movable extension tubes to guide tubes located at the front and rear of a foot platform. The foot platform is pivotally connected at its front to the front guide tube or tubes and at its rear to a support tube or tubes fixed to and extending above the rear guide tube or tubes. A leg strap is fixed to the top of the support tube or tubes. The leg strap is constructed of rigid material with a pad half-way around the leg with the other half being a flexible belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,063, issued to Hutchison on Nov. 15, 1983, discloses a leg stilt device. The leg stilt device permits the user to safely adjust the height of the stilt while thereon and is stable, holding the user in a level safe position. The device includes one or more pairs of hollow tubular telescoping vertical support members, a horizontal platform secured to the upper end of the uppermost-extending such member, a broad flat horizontal base connected to the lower end of the lowermost extending vertical member of each pair and providing the desired stability, a tubular leg brace connected to and extending above the platform, and a stilt height adjusting mechanism releasably coupling the two vertical members together. An openable leg strap is attached to the brace for releasably securing the leg of the stilt when the wearer's shoe is in the strap.
The following patents also disclose various stilt devices as they have evolved over the last one-hundred-plus years: U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,519, issued to Baker on Dec. 14, 1969; No. 3,102,272 issued to Emmert on Sep. 3, 1963; No. 3,058,120 issued to Smith et al. on Oct. 16, 1962; No. 2,832,079 issued to Bailey on Apr. 29, 1958; No. 2,802,217 issued to Wilhoyte on Apr. 13, 1957; No. 1,613,535 issued to Root on Jan. 4, 1927; No. 514,600 issued to Johnson on Feb. 13, 1894; and No. 433,365 issued to Pitman on Jul. 29, 1890. In each of patents, a similar rigid attachment system is disclosed.
Additionally, there are several products in the construction industry related to construction stilts and leg attachment assemblies. For example, www.All-Wall.com sales a leg band kit available online. The leg band kit includes leg bands with pads, buckles, straps, and laces. Warner Tool Products also sells construction stilts and accessories online at www.warnertool.com.
Thus, in the prior art, many devices have been disclosed for stilts, construction stilts, and various leg attachment mechanisms. However, despite over a hundred-plus years in product evolution of stilt devices, many of these devices still remain rigid, uncomfortable, and cumbersome to wear. Such devices are simply straps and are not designed for comfort. Additionally, such disclosed stilts require the use of cumbersome and time-consuming buckles or fasteners. The bands or straps used for calf support are often very narrow and thus less comfortable and potentially less safe than a wider, thicker band which provides significantly more comfort and stability. Furthermore, the attachment devices known in the prior art for use with such stilts are not quickly and easily removable for adaptability and/or use on other equipment, such as easily removing the attachment device from one construction stilt and using it on another construction stilt of another height adjustment or another type of device altogether.
However, while such devices may be suitable for their particular purposes, they are not suitable for the purposes of the present invention. Therefore, a need exists for the portable attachment device and method of the present invention.